There is plenty of license defense work representing nurses in three states for me. I am not a player hater or a lawyer hater for that matter.
What is a player hater? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=player+hater
I have reviewed several Ohio Board of Nursing Consent Agreements this year where the nurse was represented by an attorney who does not routinely practice before the Board and frankly it showed.
If you are going to hire an attorney to represent you before any State Nursing Board:
1. Research the attorney and the law firm; and
2. Ask questions about the attorney's experience in nurse license defense matters.
We just had our estate plan prepared and there is no way in hell that we would have an attorney with no experience or practices "here and there" and "a little here and some there" in estate planning to assist us. You should feel the same way if you need to hire an attorney to represent you before the State Nursing Board.
Its not hard to find the nurse license defense lawyers in your State. Google, contact your State Nurses Association, ask other nurses, research "nurse license defense" or "attorney for nurses" and your State, etc. There are usually a handful of nurse license defense diehards in every state or jurisdiction. See also www.taana.org. You can also email me or call my office and we point you in the right direction if you need someone outside of Ohio, Kentucky, and/or Indiana.
Its very important you get someone on your team who knows what they are doing in these types of cases. Consider hiring someone who full-time law practice involves license defense not someone who dibbles and dabbles in nurse license defense. Mistakes or missteps in these cases if not recognized turn ugly.
This is especially true for APRNs: NP, CNM, CNS, and/or CRNA. You have alot of the line and even more so usually than a general RN or LPN (no offense here because I am a general RN by licensure also). If you are an APRN and you are involved in a State Nursing Board complaint, hire a license defense attorney who has represented other APRNs. You don't want to be the first APRN the attorney represents before the State Nursing Board, do you?
Also its nice you have an attorney in your family who is offering you general advice on the State Nursing Board matter but hire a nurse license defense attorney to represent you. Don't have your BIL (brother in law) who practices tax law at a large law firm represent you before the Board.
If you are going to hire a lawyer make sure your lawyer knows nurse license defense and how to counsel and advise you going forward, backwards, and sideways about nursing practice issues. State Nursing Board cases are not resolved overnight and you want a lawyer who is by your side throughout this period of time.
When a nurse retains me, I tell them especially if its a substance use and abuse case or a complex case, "we are going to be working together for the next several years." Period.
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